Asymmetry of the brain and behaviour (lateralization) has traditionally been considered unique to humans. However, research has shown that this phenomenon is widespread throughout the vertebrate kingdom and found even in some invertebrate species. A similar basic plan of organisation exists across vertebrates. Summarising the evidence and highlighting research from the last twenty years, the authors discuss lateralization from four perspectives – function, evolution, development and causation – covering a wide range of animals, including humans. The evolution of lateralization is traced from our earliest ancestors, through fish and reptiles to birds and mammals. The benefits of having a divided brain are discussed, as well as the influence of experience on its development. A final chapter discusses outstanding problems and areas for further investigation. Experts in this field, the authors present the latest scientific knowledge clearly and engagingly, making this a valuable tool for anyone interested in the biology and behaviour of brain asymmetries.
• Draws on neuroscience, behaviour, psychology and evolution to examine the important and diverse properties of lateralization • Integrates the latest research on both non-human and human animals, providing a complete perspective on the subject • Authored by three leaders in the field, who highlight the past twenty years of research
Contents
List of illustrations; Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Function; 3. Evolution; 4. Development; 5. Causation; 6. Applications and future directions; References; Index.
Reviews
'This fascinating book has been written by three experts in the field. The different roles played by the two sides of the brain were thought to be a uniquely human characteristic, but the authors show that such lateralisation has ancient origins in biological evolution. They have written a superb book which I shall use as an invaluable source for years to come.' Professor Sir Patrick Bateson, University of Cambridge, and co-author of Plasticity, Robustness, Development and Evolution
'Birds do it, bees do it - and so, it seems, do species of every taxa: they show cerebral and behavioral asymmetries that belie the seeming bilateral symmetry of the body, and even the brain itself. Until quite recently such asymmetries, especially in the form of right-handedness and left-brain dominance, were held to be uniquely human, and even to define our species. This anthropocentric view is here comprehensively buried. The book is more than simply a compendium of asymmetries across different species. Rogers, Vallortigara and Andrew cover evolutionary, development and genetic aspects of asymmetry, asking why and how asymmetries evolved in a world that is indifferent to left and right. This is the most in-depth analysis to date, by the three foremost authorities on animal asymmetries, of a phenomenon that has fascinated scientists and philosophers through the centuries.' Michael C. Corballis, University of Auckland
'A timely addition to our understanding of hemisphere difference, this book is a vital and accessible source of information about laterality in fish, reptiles, birds, mammals, and even insects. It does not content itself with merely marshalling information, though it does that very well, but addresses the 'how' and 'why' of the asymmetrical world of all living things.' Iain McGilchrist, author of The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World
'In the last 30 years it has become clearer and clearer that there are functional differences between the two sides of the brain in vertebrates and even in invertebrates, and that these differences sometimes reveal deep phylogenetic trends. It is unlikely that any other group of authors could have done such a remarkable synthesis of the current state of evidence on this topic.' Peter F. MacNeilage, University of Texas, Austin
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